MDT Coordinator Needed at Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, East Grinstead (Apply Now)

Cancer services run on coordination. Behind every patient moving through a suspected cancer pathway is someone making sure referrals land on time, waiting targets are not breached and the right clinicians have the right information at the right moment. That person is the MDT Coordinator, and Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in East Grinstead is currently hiring one for their cancer services team. The salary ranges from £28,392 to £31,157 per year on a full-time permanent contract, and Skilled Worker visa sponsorship is explicitly available.

Queen Victoria Hospital is a specialist NHS trust rather than a sprawling district general. It has a strong national reputation, particularly in reconstructive surgery and burns care, and that specialism shapes the working culture. Teams here tend to be focused and close-knit, which can make for a genuinely supportive environment alongside the day-to-day pressure. And the pressure is real. Cancer waiting times are a regulated, publicly reported performance obligation in England, which means the MDT Coordinator is not a background administrative function. The person in this role is central to whether patients get the care they are entitled to within the timeframes the law requires.

For international applicants, the combination of explicit sponsorship and a relatively accessible entry point in terms of formal qualifications makes this a meaningful opening. You do not need a degree. What you need is experience tracking patients through complex care pathways, working confidently with data, and staying organised when multiple deadlines are competing for your attention at the same time.

Job Overview

What You’d Actually Be Doing

• Monitoring the Cancer Patient Target List every day. The Cancer PTL is a live, rolling list of patients on suspected cancer pathways. Checking it daily is the operational heartbeat of this role. You are looking for patients who are approaching or at risk of exceeding national waiting time standards so that action can be taken before a breach occurs.
• Flagging potential breaches proactively. This role is not purely reactive. You will be expected to identify emerging problems and escalate them to the Cancer MDT Manager and Lead Cancer Manager before waiting targets are missed, which requires both data confidence and the judgment to know when something needs urgent attention.
• Tracking patients across their entire care pathway. From the moment a referral is received to diagnosis and onward to treatment, patients pass through multiple departments and clinicians. Your job is to follow each patient’s journey, chase information where needed, and make sure nothing gets lost between handoffs.
• Coordinating with clinical and non-clinical staff at all levels. On any given day, you might be communicating with a consultant surgeon, a ward administrator, a booking clerk and a social care coordinator. The breadth of that communication requires clarity and consistency regardless of who you are talking to.
• Liaising with external NHS organisations and tertiary providers. Queen Victoria Hospital does not operate in isolation. You will coordinate with other NHS trusts and specialist centres as part of the wider cancer care network, ensuring that data and updates move between organisations accurately and within required timeframes.
• Maintaining accurate records on the cancer database. Data quality in cancer services is not optional. Every entry you make feeds into local and national reporting, which means errors have consequences that extend far beyond the immediate record. Attention to detail here is a professional standard, not a personality trait.
• Staying current with national NHS cancer guidance. Cancer waiting time frameworks are reviewed and updated periodically at a national level. You will need to maintain awareness of those changes to ensure your tracking and reporting remain compliant with the latest requirements.
• Contributing to regular performance reporting. Whether it is a weekly team update or a monthly national return, you will be pulling together data and presenting it in ways that inform clinical and managerial decision-making at both a local and national level.

Who They’re Looking For

Must-haves (essential criteria):

• NVQ Level 3 or an equivalent level of knowledge gained through experience working in an NHS environment, specifically within cancer services, or the ability to demonstrate that knowledge through practical experience
• Experience in data collection and patient pathway tracking
• Familiarity with cancer databases and cancer waiting time standards
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook
• Understanding of national NHS performance targets and reporting requirements
• Strong written and verbal communication skills across clinical and non-clinical settings
• An understanding of cancer waiting targets and good pathway management

Nice-to-haves (desirable criteria):

• Direct experience working within a cancer care setting
• Previous use of patient administration systems such as Lorenzo or equivalent
• Knowledge of cancer medical terminology

If you have worked in NHS administration or patient pathway management in a different specialty, do not dismiss yourself. The trust explicitly states that demonstrated knowledge through practical experience is an acceptable alternative to formal cancer services experience, which opens the door for capable NHS administrators who are ready to move into a specialist coordination role.

What Most Applicants Get Wrong

1. Applying without any demonstrated awareness of cancer waiting time standards. This is the most consistent gap in applications for MDT Coordinator roles. Candidates describe their data entry or administrative experience accurately but never show any understanding of the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard or the 62-day referral to treatment target. Hiring managers in cancer services expect you to know the performance landscape before you walk through the door.
2. Using the supporting statement as a second CV rather than a direct response to the person specification. In NHS applications, the supporting statement is your opportunity to address each criterion in the person specification with a specific, evidenced example. Applicants who use this space to restate their employment history are missing the point and, more importantly, missing their best chance to stand out from candidates with similar backgrounds.
3. Underestimating how much the interview will focus on pressure, urgency and escalation. This role exists because cancer waiting time compliance is a high-stakes, publicly visible obligation. Interviewers for MDT Coordinator posts want to know how you perform when multiple patients are approaching deadlines simultaneously and when escalating a problem to a manager feels difficult. Candidates who describe coordination in calm, measured terms without acknowledging the pressure of time-sensitive patient tracking rarely convince experienced cancer services panels that they are ready for the reality of the job.

How to Apply (and Actually Get Noticed)

1. Go directly to the full job listing on the Trac.jobs platform. Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust uses NHS Trac for its recruitment, and the application must be submitted through apps.trac.jobs. Third-party job boards carry a summary only.
2. Read the complete person specification on Trac before you start writing. The summary versions of this listing do not include every criterion, and your supporting statement needs to be built around the full version.
3. Structure your supporting statement around the essential criteria, addressing each one individually with a specific example. Use the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to keep your examples focused, evidence-based and easy for a panel to evaluate.
4. Demonstrate your knowledge of cancer waiting time targets in your statement. Even if you have not worked directly in cancer services before, showing that you understand the significance of the 28-day and 62-day targets and how data accuracy connects to compliance will differentiate you from candidates who ignore this entirely.
5. Name any patient administration systems you have experience with. Whether it is Lorenzo, EMIS, SystemOne or another NHS platform, being specific signals practical readiness and addresses the desirable criteria directly rather than leaving the panel to guess.
6. Highlight your Excel skills explicitly. Cancer pathway tracking relies heavily on spreadsheets. If you are proficient in filtering, conditional formatting, pivot tables or data validation, say so clearly rather than listing Excel as a standard software skill.
7. Submit your application before 17 May 2026. NHS application systems do not accept late submissions, and technical issues on deadline day are not grounds for an exception.

Visa and Eligibility

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that applications from candidates requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome and will be given full consideration alongside all other applicants. As a licensed NHS sponsor, the trust is authorised to issue Certificates of Sponsorship for eligible roles. The salary for this post, between £28,392 and £31,157 per year, sits within the NHS Band 4 range. You should verify the current Skilled Worker salary threshold requirements on the official UK Visas and Immigration website before applying, as these figures are reviewed periodically.

Overseas applicants must also provide criminal record certificates from any country where they have lived for 12 months or more, continuously or cumulatively, in the past 10 years. This requirement covers adult dependants as well as the applicant. Full guidance is available on the GOV.UK criminal records checks for overseas applicants page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to the most common questions people ask about this MDT Coordinator role at Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, including eligibility, interview format, visa requirements and what to expect from the application process.

What does an MDT Coordinator do in cancer services?

An MDT Coordinator in cancer services tracks patients along their suspected cancer pathway, monitors daily patient lists to identify those at risk of breaching national waiting time targets, and coordinates information between clinical and administrative teams to keep care on schedule. At Queen Victoria Hospital, this includes liaising with external NHS providers and ensuring that cancer database records are updated accurately to support both local management and national reporting.

Do I need a degree to apply for this MDT Coordinator role at Queen Victoria Hospital?

No. The essential qualification is an NVQ Level 3 or an equivalent level of knowledge gained through working in an NHS environment within cancer services, or the ability to demonstrate that knowledge through practical experience. The trust does not list a degree as a requirement, which means candidates who have developed their skills on the job are genuinely competitive.

What cancer waiting time targets do I need to know about for this role?

The two most relevant targets are the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard, which requires that patients referred on a suspected cancer pathway either receive a diagnosis or have cancer ruled out within 28 days of referral, and the 62-day referral to treatment standard for patients with a confirmed cancer diagnosis. Understanding how these are measured, what constitutes a breach and how breaches are reported is essential background knowledge for anyone applying for an MDT Coordinator position.

Can I apply if I have NHS admin experience but not in cancer services specifically?

Yes. The person specification states that the Level 3 knowledge requirement can be met through practical experience rather than formal cancer services employment. If you have worked in patient pathway management, waiting times tracking or NHS data entry in another specialty, you should address that transferability directly in your supporting statement rather than leaving the panel to make the connection themselves.

Is Skilled Worker visa sponsorship confirmed for this MDT Coordinator role?

Yes. The listing explicitly confirms that applications from candidates requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome and will be considered equally alongside all other applications. Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is a licensed NHS sponsor. Sponsorship is confirmed as available for this role, not simply listed as a possibility, which is a meaningful distinction when comparing posts across the NHS job market.

What is Queen Victoria Hospital like as a place to work?

Queen Victoria Hospital is a specialist NHS trust with a national reputation, particularly in reconstructive surgery and burns care, rather than a standard district general hospital. The organisation is smaller and more focused in its specialism, which means working relationships tend to be closer and team dynamics more visible. For a coordination role, that environment means you will know the people you are working with and the impact of your work will be direct and observable.

How should I prepare for an MDT Coordinator interview in cancer services?

Prepare structured examples using the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) that cover managing competing priorities, escalating problems to a manager, handling urgent and time-sensitive data tasks, and communicating effectively with people at different levels of an organisation. Expect scenario-based questions about what you would do if a patient was approaching a waiting time breach and the relevant clinician was unavailable. Having a working understanding of cancer waiting time targets before the interview is also expected at this level.

Will I need to pass a DBS check before starting this role?

Yes. Like all NHS posts involving patient data and clinical coordination, this role is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, meaning a Disclosure and Barring Service check is required. Overseas applicants will additionally need to provide criminal record certificates from every country in which they have resided for 12 months or more in the past decade, including adult dependants.

What patient administration systems are used in NHS cancer services?

NHS trusts vary in the systems they use, but common patient administration systems include Lorenzo, EMIS and SystemOne. Cancer-specific data is also recorded on national platforms linked to cancer waiting time reporting. The job listing lists experience with patient administration systems as a desirable criterion, so naming any systems you have used, and describing how you used them, is worth doing explicitly in both your CV and your supporting statement.

Official Application Link

To apply, visit the NHS recruitment platform and submit your application for the MDT Coordinator (Cancer) role at Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust through Trac.jobs before 17 May 2026.